Method of manufacturing lower panel for plasma display panel using x-rays

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a lower panel for a plasma display panel using X-rays which includes preparing a base substrate; forming a barrier rib material layer on the base substrate; defining barrier rib patterns by scanning X-rays on the barrier rib material layer; and developing the barrier rib material layer to form barrier ribs. Fine-pitch patterning of the barrier ribs can be achieved with high precision by using X-rays.

1 . A method of manufacturing a lower panel for a plasma display panel, the method including:
 forming a barrier rib material layer on a prepared base substrate;   defining barrier rib patterns by scanning X-rays on the barrier rib material layer; and   developing the barrier rib material layer having the barrier rib patterns defined by the X-rays to form barrier ribs.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the barrier rib material layer comprises a material that develops in response to the X-rays. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the barrier rib material layer comprises inorganic microparticles and organic materials, the inorganic microparticles are fused by the X-rays to form the barrier ribs, and at least a part of the organic materials are removable by the X-rays. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the forming of the barrier rib material layer further comprises coating a paste on the base substrate or laminating a sheet material on the base substrate. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, to prepare the base substrate, forming a plurality of electrodes on the base substrate. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising, to prepare the base substrate, forming a dielectric layer, on which the barrier rib material layer is to be formed, to cover the plurality of electrodes. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising drying the barrier rib material layer before the defining of the barrier rib patterns. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the defining of the barrier rib patterns comprises placing a photomask having shielding regions and transmission regions in an optical path of the X-rays and exposing the photomask to the X-rays such that the shielding regions shield the barrier rib material layer from the X-rays, and the transmission regions allow the transmittance of the X-rays. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the photomask has a small area sufficient to mask an entire optical path of the X-rays, the small area being smaller than the barrier rib material layer. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein an X-ray source that emits the X-rays and the photomask are disposed in predetermined positions, and the X-rays are scanned while the base substrate is moved in a scan direction. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the X-rays move in a predetermined path to define the barrier rib patterns. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising sintering the patterned barrier rib material layer. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the X-rays have a wavelength of 0.01 to 100 Å. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the developing further comprises removing portions of the barrier rib material layer not exposed to the scanning X-rays. 
     
     
         15 . A method of manufacturing a lower panel for a plasma display panel, the method including:
 forming a first barrier rib material layer of a first thickness on a base substrate;   defining a first barrier rib pattern by scanning X-rays on the first barrier rib material layer;   forming a second barrier rib material layer of a second thickness on the first barrier rib material layer;   defining a second barrier rib pattern by scanning X-rays on the first and second barrier rib material layers; and   developing the first and second barrier rib material layers having the first and second barrier rib patterns defined by the X-rays to form barrier ribs having different heights.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the defining of the first barrier rib pattern and the defining of the second barrier rib pattern are performed using different photomasks. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the first barrier rib pattern and the second barrier rib pattern extend in strips to intersect each other. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the forming of the first barrier rib material layer further comprises coating a paste on the base substrate or laminating a sheet material on the base substrate, and the forming of the second barrier rib material layer further comprises coating a paste on the first barrier rib material layer or laminating a sheet material on the first barrier rib material layer. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising preparing the base substrate, the base substrate comprising:
 a lower substrate;   address electrodes formed to cross the lower substrate; and   a dielectric layer formed to cover the lower substrate and the address electrodes.   
     
     
         20 . A plasma display panel, comprising:
 an upper substrate and a lower substrate disposed to face each other at a predetermined distance;   barrier ribs disposed between the upper and lower substrates to define discharge cells; and   scan and sustain electrodes formed on the upper substrate to generate discharges in the discharge cells,   wherein a lower panel including at least the lower substrate and the barrier ribs is formed by the method of  claim 1 .